meettheresidentsfandomcom-20200215-history
The Snakey Wake
''The Snakey Wake is an EP by The Residents, first released in a limited edition in 1988 on UWEB. The EP features a studio recreation of a live performance the group conceived in August 1987, as a tribute to their recently deceased friend Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman. The 2015 Klanggalerie reissue of the EP includes a recording of the original performance. History Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman had been a long-time friend and collaborator with The Residents since their earliest days, and had most recently performed with them on their 13th Anniversary Show tour in 1986. Lithman died unexpectedly in 1987 of a heart attack, and the group was unable to make it to his funeral in his home country of England. With that in mind, the group held their own memorial for Lithman, referred to as "The Snakey Wake", in San Francisco on August 24th 1987. The Residents arrived dressed in black, wrapped in black netting, and carrying black umbrellas (depicted on the cover art of the EP). Snakefinger's friends supplied mementos which were packaged and tied to large black balloons The Residents had inflated during the laments, and which were released into the sky at the end of the night. The wake also included a rare performance from the elderly N. Senada. The group recreated their performance in the studio and released it as a limited edition EP through their fan club UWEB later in 1988. Reissues ''The Snakey Wake EP would be reissued by The Residents a number of times, including a second edition through UWEB in 1988, in 2015 on Klanggalerie (newly remastered by Christian Loebenstein, and also featuring the recording of the original performance with N. Senada) and in 2017 as a limited vinyl-only release on Secret Records (also featuring the live version on the B-side, but not including the Senada perfomance). Track listing ]] Original edition (1988) # Lament (20:09) ## Six More Miles ## Lament ## Exotica ## Primal ## Depart Klanggalerie reissue (2015) # Snakey Wake (20:11) ## Six More Miles ## Lament ## Exotica ## Primal ## Depart # Snakey Wake Live (22:01) ## Six More Miles (Live) ## Lament (Live) ## Exotica (Live) ## Primal (Live) ## Depart (Live) # N. Senada Live At The Snakey Wake (6:42) ## Eloise ## Sandman ## Kamikazi Lady Liner notes UWEB edition (1988) and Secret Records edition (2017) The Residents met Philip Lithman in 1969. They became immediate friends and began playing music together. Hippies tend to do that when they aren't growing hair or smoking bananas. It was, no doubt, some of those very bananas that caused a photo of Philip's hand playing the "fiddle" to be given the rubbery interpretation of "Snakefinger", a name which stuck despite Philip's reluctance to accept it gracefully. But stick, it did, as did the friendship between these very different but obviously compatible humans. The number of appearances of Snakefinger on Residents projects, as well as the involvement of The Residents on Snakefinger albums, bears testament to the strength and commitment of their visionary alliance. 1986 was a particularly good year for their working together. "The 13th Anniversary Show" had necessitated a tour of Japan, Australia, North America and Europe. Plans were made to tour together again in 1989. Fate decreed otherwise. Snakefinger died July 1, 1987 while on a European tour with his band, The Vestal Virgins... silenced by a heart attack. Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman was buried in London. The word "Snakefinger" was never uttered as they lay him in the ground. His grave neglects the name by which he is loved by millions. The many friends in San Francisco consoled each other, but the death of a friend so far from home is difficult to accept. The Residents organized a party... a wake... for their lost friend. The party was called "The Snakey Wake". It was so named due to Mr. Fingers' strange form of speaking in double rhymes. The Residents arrived in black. More black net wrapped around their bodies and each carried an open black umbrella. They went to their instruments without introduction and hurled into an eerie version of Hank Williams' "Six More Miles To The Graveyard". A series of electronic renditions of old English laments followed as two of The Residents inflated several large black balloons with helium. These balloons were wrapped in more black net and open umbrellas. Then friends approached with mementos of Snakefinger and these items were combined into a package that was attached to the giant bobbing black mass. As the final lament was sung, the whole structure was launched into the clear night sky and watched by all until it was no longer visible. The loss of this working companion has been difficult for The Residents, but the loss of Snakefinger as a friend is an empty space that will forever remain. See also * Snakefinger * Stars & Hank Forever * The Snakey Wake (live performance) External links and references * The Snakey Wakeon The Residents Historical * The Snakey Wakeon RZWeb * The Snakey Wakeon Discogs Category:EPs and singles Category:The Snakey Wake Category:Snakefinger Category:UWEB